The present invention is directed toward an arrangement for packaging rock stabilizers and more particularly, toward a method for arranging the rock stabilizers so that they can be easily and conveniently carried.
Ground support, especially in the mining industry, is an important safety factor that must be taken into consideration during any type of excavating activity. An effective anchoring system that is currently being used and commonly referred to as rock stabilizers includes a tube and a bearing plate, as seen, for example, in FIG. 1. The tube is typically made from resilient steel and has a slit along its length so that the tube will be compressible for insertion into a pre-drilled bore in a mine roof or wall as will be discussed below. One end of the tube is tapered and the other end has a ring flange. The tubes may vary in length. The bearing plate has a flat base from which a central domed section arises. The center of the domed section has an aperture therethrough.
In order to install the system, the bearing plate is placed against a surface to be supported, such as a wall or roof of a mine, with the domed section facing away from the surface. The tapered end of the tube is then driven through the aperture and as the tube slides into place, the slot narrows. The tube exerts radial pressure against the surface over its full contact length and provides plate load support. The result is a tight grip which actually grows stronger with time and ground movement. Similar systems are described in greater detail in the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,768 to Buchhorn et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,652,178 to Kates et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,808 to Arya, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,719 to Scott.
While the above-described system is well known and used and provides an effective anchoring system, the same can be cumbersome to transport. That is, carrying the tubes and plates from one location to another location as they are needed can become time-consuming and burdensome. Currently, the tubes are packaged or otherwise bound together. Likewise, the plates are bound together by a wire or the like where the wire is drawn through the central apertures of the plates and secured. This packaging system, however, can be time-consuming because the tubes and the plates are packaged separately. Furthermore, as a result of the size of the tubes, it becomes difficult to transport a great number of tubes and plates at one time. This awkwardness makes it necessary for a person to make frequent trips from the actual work site to where the supply of tubes and plates are kept. This creates extra work and effort for the worker which wastes time and energy. Therefore, there is a need for an efficient packaging system which saves the worker's time and energy when installing the anchoring system at a work site.